Master's Graduation Requirements
Registration Requirement for Final Semester
All students must be registered in their final graduating semester. Thesis Option students must be registered in 698B and Report Option students must be registered in or have taken 398D to submit a graduation application.
Step 1: If you intend to complete your Master’s degree this semester, please route the Program of Work to the faculty member who approves your advising form (research supervisor or advisor).
After it is approved, you'll receive an email and can proceed to apply to graduate online in step 2.
Step 2: Once the Program of Work is approved, you can submit the Master’s Graduation Application form online.
Spring 2026 Graduates: January 12, 2026 – April 10, 2026
Students who do not submit the form by the deadline April 10th will not be eligible to receive their degree until the subsequent semester.
In the drop down menu for the online form:
Coursework Only option - Select "No thesis/No Report"
Thesis Option – Select “Thesis”
Departmental Report Option – Select “No Thesis/No Report"
In the Departmental Report option, the Report is not uploaded to the Graduate School. For this reason, the Departmental Report is labelled "No Thesis/No Report" in the drop-down menu.
Step 3:
Coursework Only Option: no additional action needed.
Departmental Report Option: Clearance Letter is due by April 25th, 2026. Route the form to your faculty supervisor(s). After they approve you are automatically added to the graduation list.
Students in this option do not submit their Report or Clearance Letter to the Graduate School, instead these documents reside in the department with your Area faculty.
Thesis Option: Please see https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/graduation/deadlines-and-submission-instructions for template and digital submission instructions.
Copyright Tutorial
The tutorial was designed to be an overview of copyright issues that will be of importance when completing a thesis or dissertation.
Students first upload the thesis before submitting the pages detailed below via email to Grad Student Services.
It is critical that your submission be complete and correct. After submission, no revisions or corrections will be allowed except for those required by the graduate dean.
The upload and required pages are due by 3:00 p.m. CDT on the deadline: April 24, 2026.
Thesis Option students are also required to upload a PDF copy of the following pages to the Graduate School by 3:00 p.m. CDT on the deadline.
A CAEE Master's Committee Approval form, with signatures of your supervising committee.
Some students may also need the request to Delay Publication. Request to Delay Publication form in Docusign.
Some students may need the Co-Author Permission Form in Docusign.
Please note:
The Graduate School does not receive forms in the DocuSign system, so you must download the completed Master's Committee Approval form signature page or Delayed Publication DocuSign request as a PDF, then upload to the Graduate School Access the form portal.
Please contact Kathy McWilliams if you have any questions or concerns about applying to graduate.
International student Insurance waiver for students graduating in Spring
International students who graduate in Spring will be automatically billed for summer insurance by the international office. If you choose to waive the summer insurance, you must submit the waiver request by the posted deadline.
Master's Graduation Letter for CPT, OPT or employers before the diploma is awarded, this form routes to the Graduate Coordinator.
M.S. students planning to continue on to the PhD program must complete the PhD Continuation Application- PhD Continuance Application Form - Typeable.pdf
Diplomas
Prior to graduation, you will receive a “Degree Candidate” email from the Office of the Registrar (sent to the email on file with the university), which will ask you to confirm your diploma name and the degree you will earn. Please remember to update your email if it has changed.
Effective spring 2021 and future semesters, degree candidates may select to have a diploma name that is different from the legal name on their student record. A diploma name can be updated the semester of graduation, but unless specified, your legal name will be the default name on the diploma. If you have designated a chosen name on your student record and would like your diploma name to match your chosen name, you will still need to update your diploma name during your graduating semester.
Options for how to receive your diploma are given online.
Commencement
The Graduate School hosts one convocation ceremony each spring. Students who graduated in the summer or fall semesters prior to the ceremony, and those who have applied to graduate in the spring, may participate. Learn more here about the Graduate School Convocation Ceremony.
Regalia must be purchased or rented for the ceremonies and details for required regalia can be found online at the links for each ceremony. You can purchase or rent regalia at the University Co-op. Check the co-op site for details and deadlines.